Rex V. Bixby

Rex Bixby in uniform [undated] War: World War I, 1914-1920 Branch: Army Unit: 134th Infantry Regiment, School of Military Aeronautics Service Location: Austin, Texas; San Diego, California; March Field, Riverside, California Rank: Lieutenant Place of Birth: Hardy, NE

Rex Bixby spent two years in the Army National Guard before he enlisted in the regular Army in 1917. He then transferred to the School of Military Aeronautics in Texas in 1918 for pilot training. Though he never left the U.S. for service in the Great War, Bixby did assemble a scrapbook of photos from his time in Texas, most of which are accompanied by humorous comments cut out from newspapers. It might seem that Bixby enjoyed his time in the service, but he was injured in a crash and one of his fellow pilots was killed during a training mission, according to the newspaper accounts pasted into his book. His scrapbook is also filled with early aviation shots and rare aerial photos of his group flying in formation.